Automatic tank.



No. 655,288. Patented Aug. 7, |900.

' W. WAYMAN.

AUTOMATIC TANK.

Appution med June 19, 1899 No Model.)

Mtn/65565 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM o. wAYMAN, or CI-IICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNOR To THE ILLINOIS MALLEA'BLE'IRCN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

' AUTOMATIC f TAN K.V

srneIFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. esaaeaaatea August 7, ieoo. Application filed .Tune 19, 1899. Serial No. 721,022. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM O. WAYMAN, residing at Chicago, county of Oook,and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to tanks by which an automatic periodical flushing is obtained; and the object thereof. is to provide novel, simple, and reliable means for performing such functions.

The novel and advantageous features in construction and operation of my device will be apparent from the description hereinafter given.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a tank or cistern with my device in position therein, the full lines representing the float while being `filledywith wateigbut before submergence, and the dotted lines showing the position of the pan in emptying its contents after the starting of the siphon; and Fig. 2, an elevation of the movable parts immediately after the filling of the ioat and during its descent in the tank when the valve is opened.

My device is placed in the usual tank 1, having a constantlyopen supply pipe or faucet 2 for supplying water thereto. The discharging device may be, if desired, a siphon comprising a casting or casing 3, provided with a vertical partition 4, dividing the interior of such casing into two vertical chambers or passages 5 and 6, communicating at the top, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The casing is secured in the bottom of the tank or box in any suitable manner, so that it communicates with the usual outlet or discharge pipe 7. The passage 5 is open at the lower end to communicate 'with the tank near the bottom,while the passage 6 communicates with discharge-pipe 7 and has a branch pipe 8, which might be termed a Siphon-starting inlet. yThis inlet is governed by a valve 9, arranged on the end of an arm or stem 10, pivoted to a bracket 1l on the casing. This arm has an end 12, projecting upwardly beyond said pivoted point, so as to be actuated by the trigger device about -to be described.

If the valve 9 should by any means be opened even momentarily when the tank is filled with water, the siphon would be started and the water would drain out through the Siphon in the direction of the arrows. My design and pu rpose are to give an intermittent actuation of the discharging device, which is here shown as a siphon, and a consequent periodical flushing, and to accomplish these results automatically. To this end the following means may be employed substantially as shown: Upon a lug or bracket 3 upon the side of the casing I pivot the end 13 of an upwardly and outwardly extending arm 14, which is preferably bifurcated at its end or provided thereat with a bifurcated extension. Between the bifurcations or arms 15 is pivoted off the center an open pan or float 16, which is self-dumping and one of whose ends 17 extends Obliquely upwardly and outwardly, so that all the water will drain out of the pan after the device is operated. The arm 14 has a stop 18, which strikes the side of the casing to arrest further upward movement of the float. While I prefer to provide the stop upon the arm itself, it will be understood that the stop may be fixed on the casing and be contacted by the arm, which construction is a mere reversal and equivalent of that shown. Upon the end 13 of arm 14 is pivoted a pawl or dog 19, which is adapted to engage the projecting arm 12 of the valve-stem.

The operation is as follows: Vhen the incoming Water in the tank reaches the float, it will raise the same, the panor float resting horizontally on the top of the water. The float will continue to rise until arrested by stop 18, and the Water continuing to enter the tank will overliow the float and fill the same. Fig. 1 shows the fioat in its highest posit-ion and being lled with water. The float will then become submerged and the weight of the same and of the arm will cause it to descend. However, when lthe float ascended the pawl had climbed up the inner side of arm l2 and had dropped in front thereof when the float reached its highest point. Then immediately upon the descentA of the iioat the pawl 19 will force arm 12 tothe right, (see drawings,) opening valve 9 and causing sufficient water to enter branch 8 to start the siphon through passages 5 and 6. The valve IOD 9 is opened momentarily, as when the float i esmas has descended farther the pawl 19 will pass behind arms 12 and allow the valve 9 to close. When the iioat has reached its lowest position, or approximately so, it will tilt and discharge the contained water. Owing to the peculiar shape of the ioat a full discharge will occur 'without requiring the float to turn to a position at right angles to its supporting-arm. rEhe siphon action continues, of course, until approximately all the Water in the tank is discharged. The above operation is repeated continuously and automatically. It will be understood that either or both ends of the float may be formed obliquely, although the construction shown will be found preferable.

Ido not intend to limit myself to any particular species of use of my invention, nor necessarily to Siphon-provided tanks, and contemplate using the same Wherever applicable. My devices are designed for and capable of automatically emptying [iuids from tanks of every description and-used -for every purpose.

Although I have described more or less precise forms and details of construction I do not intend to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substiv tution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. An automatic discharge device for tanks comprising,in connection with a tank,a valvegoverned discharge therefrom, a float actuating said valve and consisting of a pan adapted to tilt when iilled and adapted to be filled with water over its edge, such pan being dumped by the gravity of its contained water when the water in the tank is being dis,

charged, and means for arresting the upward movement of the pan to cause it to fill when the water in the tank reaches a predetermined level.

2. An automatic dischargedevice for tanks, comprising,in connection with a tank,a valvegoverned discharge therefrom, and means for operating such valve comprising a float consisting of a pan pivoted above and at one side of its center ol' gravity and having its top longer than the bottom and that end inclined which is the farther removed from the pivotal point, and means for arresting the upward movement of the pan in the tank to cause the pan to iill when the water therein reaches a predetermined level, such pan being dumped by the gravity of its contained water when the tank is being discharged.

3. An automatic discharge device tor tanks comprising, in combination with a tank, al

valve-governed discharge therefrom, a iioatactuated trigger mechanism for operating said valve, said float consisting of a panadapted to tilt when lled and adapted to be filled with water over its edge after arrest of' its movement with intlowin g water,and to actuate such trigger mechanism while descending in a horizontal position after submergence, lsaid pan being dumped by the gravity of its contained water after the water in the tank has receded and ceased to support the pan, and means for arresting the upward movement of -the pan.

4. An automatic siphon device for tanks comprising, in connection with a tank, a siphon in the tank, a Siphon-starting inlet, a valve governing such inlet and having a stem, an open pan or iioat, a pivoted arm carrying such float and having a projection contacting the valve of said inlet and opening the same when the float fills with water and descends, the valve of said inlet beingadapted to close after the Siphon is started and before the Water is drained from the tank.

5. An automatic Siphon device for tanks comprising, in connection with a tank, a siphon therein, having a Siphon-starting inlet adapted to close after the siphon i's started but before the water is drained from the tank,

engage the valve when the float is submerged` and descends.

6. An automatic siphon device for tanks comprising, in connection with a tank, a siphon therein having a Siphon-starting inlet, a valve governing said inlet adapted to close after the siphon is started but before the water is drained from the tank, an arm pivoted in the tank, an open float carried by the arm, such arm having a pawl engaging the valve to open it when the float is submerged and descends and a stop for arresting the upward movement of the float and cause it to ll with water.

7. An automatic siphon devicefor tanks comprising, in connection with a tank,-a siphon therein having a siphonstarting inlet, a pivoted valve governing said inlet, a pro= IOO jecting stem for such valve,an'open pan formthe tank flows when the upward movement of the pan is arrested, such pan having an end extending obliquely outwardly and upwardly, an arm pivoted in the tank and car rying the float at one end, and actuating the valve by its other end, such arm being pivotally connected to the pan 0E its center of gravity and nearer that end opposite said oblique end, and means for arresting the up- -ward movement of the pan.

9. An automatic siphon device for tanks comprising, in combination with a tank having a discharge, a siphon therein connected with such discharge and having a siphonstarting inlet, a valve governing said inlet, an arm pivoted in the tank and in its movements momentarily opening the valve, a oat consisting of a pan open at its top from end to end, with one end extending obliquely outwardly and upwardly, said pan being pivotally supported so as to tilt when filled, and to dump by the gravity of the water therein and to discharge from such oblique end and means for arresting the upward movement of the pan to cause the same to fill with water from the tank.

10. An automatic siphon device for tanks, comprising, in combination with a tank, a siphon connected therein with the tank-discharge and having a Siphon-starting inlet, a valve governing said inlet, an arm pivoted in the tank and having one end bifurcated with its other end controlling said valve, a float consisting of an open pan over whose top edge the tank-Water `flows when the upward movement of the pan is arrested, such pan being pivoted in said bifurcated end, off and above the center of gravity of the pan when filled with Water and dumped by the gravity of its contained Water and means for arresting the upward movement of the iioat.

11. An automatic siphon device for tanks comprising, in combination With a tank, a casing therein forming a siphon connected with the tank-discharge and having a Siphon-starting inlet, a valve pivoted on such casing and governing said inlet, an open pan or loat, and an arm pivoted upon the casing and carrying said pan at its outward end and having a pivoted dog at its other end engaging said valve.

12. An automatic siphon device for tanks comprising, in combination with a tank, a casing 3 connected therein with the tank outlet or discharge and forming a siphon having a Siphon-starting inlet 8, a pivoted valve 9 governing such inlet and having a projection 12, an open pan or lioat 16, a pivoted arm 14 carrying the pan, and a dog 19 pivoted on the arm 14 and cooperating with projection 12.

13. An automatic siphon device for tanks comprising, in combination with a tank having an outlet or discharge, a casing 3 connected therein with the tank-discharge and forming a siphon having a Siphon-starting inlet 8, a valve 9 governing such inlet and having a valve-stem 10 pivoted on said casing, such stem having a proj ectionl2, an open pan or iloat 16, an arm 14 pivoted on the casing and carrying said pan, a dog 19 pivoted on said arm and a stop 18 for limiting the upward movement of said arm.

WILLIAM O. WAYMAN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL E. HIBBEN, LOUISE E. SERAGE. 

